


this is where we start

by spyglass



Category: Ever After (1998)
Genre: F/M, Yuletide 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28145070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spyglass/pseuds/spyglass
Summary: Someone once said they were supposed to live happily ever after, and that is exactly what they did. Or, five moments from Danielle and Henry's future.
Relationships: Danielle de Barbarac/Prince Henry (Ever After)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	this is where we start

**Author's Note:**

  * For [all_these_ghosts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_these_ghosts/gifts).



i.

It took several days for Danielle’s new reality to sink in.

Since her escape from Le Pieu, her life had been a whirlwind of new surroundings, new experiences, and an endless stream of new faces. It was all, of course, a good whirlwind - but a whirlwind nevertheless. It was enough to overwhelm even her sense of adventure, if not for Henry’s steady, loving presence at her side.

Their wedding had been a small, intimate affair, attended only by his parents, Leonardo, Gustave (whose presence had been arranged by Signore da Vinci himself), and Captain Laurent. However, three days after the wedding and Danielle’s formal presentation at court, King Francis and Queen Marie had given a ball in their honor. Though somewhat apprehensive about attending such an event, Danielle was comforted by Henry’s suggestion that she invite her own guests. The King and Queen, who had been nothing but kind to her but were still somewhat reserved in her presence, had not balked when she had included Paulette, Louise, and Maurice in her invitations. “Aside from my sister and Gustave,” she had explained, her voice steady and determined even as her heart beat faster, “they are the only family I have, your highness, and I will not forget them.”

Still accustomed to servant’s hours, Danielle rose early the morning after the ball. Leaving her new husband asleep in their bed, she returned to her own rooms, a suite far more grand than anything she could have imagined. She dressed herself, selecting the simplest gown she could find, before making her way to the library. The library was her favorite room in the palace - grand and ornate, with a more limited selection than the Franciscan’s library, though still more books than any person could hope to read in a lifetime. It was one of the few rooms in the palace where Danielle felt truly comfortable, and she visited it nearly every day. She quickly located the library’s copy of _Utopia_ and settled in to begin reading.

She was still there when Prince Henry came looking for her about an hour later.

“When I awoke alone, I knew there was only one place you could be,” he said, grinning as he stepped into her peripheral vision and distracted her from her book. He leaned in to kiss her in greeting. “Good morning, Danielle.”

Danielle placed her book to the side, a silent thrill passing through her once more at the simple pleasure of hearing her husband address her by her own name. She believed she would never tire of hearing it. “Married for less than a fortnight and already you know all there is to know about me,” she teased. “We cannot have that.”

“On the contrary, my dear,” he replied, his smile reaching his eyes. “You surprise me every day. And now, I hope I can return the favor.”

“Your highness,” Danielle teased. “This past week has been nothing _but_ surprises.”

“I know that these past few days have been overwhelming,” Henry said, his tone sobering. “I thought perhaps you would like to escape for a few hours, so I arranged for Captain Laurent to escort us back to your father’s home. I thought we could spend some time there, just the two of us. I would like to learn about the place where you grew up. I was hoping you would show me your father’s books and select some titles to complete our collection here.”

“Oh, Henry,” Danielle cried, throwing her arms around him. It still seemed like a dream that this wonderful man had become her husband. For all the years she spent consuming every book she could find, she could not put into words all that she felt for him, but she thought she must try. “That sounds absolutely _perfect_.”

ii.

Relations between France and Spain remained tenuous for some time after the abrupt cancelation of the marriage contract for Prince Henry and Princess Gabriella, but after about a year, an open dialogue resumed between King Francis and the King of Spain, which culminated in a new treaty set to be signed just after the new year. A week of festivities were planned to celebrate the occasion of the newfound agreement between the two countries, all culminating with a ball given on the final night of the Spanish delegation’s visit.

Over the past eighteen months, Danielle had grown accustomed to, if not entirely comfortable with, attending court functions and balls. But this would be her first event to honor foreign leaders and to make matters worse, those leaders happened to be the parents of Henry’s would-be fiancée.

With that in mind, Danielle selected her very best gown for the occasion as she fought nerves not entirely unlike the nerves she had the night of the masque. Then, she had feared what might happen - what Henry might think of her - when he learned the truth. Now, her fears have turned to how she might reflect on her new family. Though she knew Henry’s love for her ran as true and deep as hers did for him, and his parents had grown truly fond of her for all that she was not the woman they might have initially chosen for him, Danielle wanted to show the world that she would be a good queen in all things, from speaking to the needs of all the French people to representing them well in matters of state. And perhaps even more important, she wanted to show Spain that she was the right wife for Henry.

After several hours of making conversation with strangers, sometimes at Henry’s side and sometimes on her own, she found herself eager for a few moments of privacy and took the first available opportunity to slip out into the gardens.

Not a few moments later, she heard her husband’s voice call out to her as he appeared from behind the hedges.

“Usually I’m the one running off to hide at these events.”

“Henry,” Danielle startled, turning suddenly at the sound of his voice. “I thought I snuck out here unnoticed.”

“I believe you did,” Henry replied, his voice tinged with mirth. “But you forget that I have years of practice and know all of the best places to hide when you don’t want my mother to find us.”

“Do you think she’ll come looking?” Danielle frowned at the thought that their absence might be noticed and remarked upon by their guests.

“She was deep in conversation with Signore da Vinci when I made my escape,” Henry said, wrapping an arm around her as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. Quirking an eyebrow, he added in a low whisper. “I believe we have a few minutes yet before she sends the royal guards in search of us.”

Danielle laughed, as she often did when Henry was near her. The joy that he brought into her life since that otherwise unremarkable morning he stole her father’s horse was unparalleled, and still at times, it took her by surprise.

“Well then,” she said, turning toward him with a smile. “We had better savor every last moment we have.”

He kissed her then, long and slow and deep, before they stood beside each other in comfortable silence. For these few, brief moments, the ball and Spain and all their other obligations disappeared, and they could simply be Danielle and Henry.

iii.

From her very first days in the palace, Danielle was never surprised by how much work went into her role as Princess. She, more than her former stepmother or Marguerite, understood how much work went into running their simple manor and farm, and she had always relished working hard on behalf of something she cared about, whether it was her beloved childhood home or the people of France. That did not mean, however, that she and Prince Henry did not sometimes need an escape from their royal duties.

Whenever they could, they escaped to the Franciscan monastery, to the ruins at Amboise, or even to her father’s manor, now thriving under new staff. But often, they were forced to improvise and find a hidden corner of the palace where they could hide away when they were in need of a few moments to themselves but could not retreat to the family’s private quarters.

On one such morning, Danielle found herself eagerly searching for a respite after a particularly laborious meeting over the university. Catching Henry’s eye as they rose to leave, she saw understanding cross his face immediately, and as soon as they could, turned a corner to leave their advisors behind. Henry led her down a maze of hallways to a suite of rooms that had been used for entertaining during his grandfather’s reign but had not been in regular use since Henry was a boy. Danielle had once remarked at how the rich tapestries and furniture reminded her of her father’s home, and since that time, they had often retreated to these rooms when they were in search of a few private moments.

Alone at last, Henry let out a low breath and shook his head. “When I first envisioned this university, I never imagined it would be so difficult.”

“Your father might say that is because you had no experience with the palace advisors then,” Danielle replied. “But I believe it is simply that you cannot imagine someone else not understanding your vision for this project.”

“Our vision,” he corrected. “You have shaped this university from the very beginning.”

“Some might say I have caused _problems_ for this university from the very beginning,” she countered with a laugh. “But we shall see it through.”

“We shall,” he agreed. The tension of their meeting had by then melted away, and in its place was a mischievous look Danielle knew all too well. “After all, what is the point in being the Crown Prince and Princess of France if we cannot override those among our advisors who do not understand we are right.”

“Perhaps we should not resort to such tactics if they can be avoided, sire,” she replied with mirth.

“You may be right, my lady,” he admitted with a smile. Though he might suggest otherwise in private moments of frustration, they both knew he would never use his position as anything other than a last resort. “As always, you are my voice of reason.”

“Yes,” she agreed easily. “And I shall not let you forget it.”

Henry laughed as he leaned in to kiss her. “I would never dream of it.”

iv.

At long last, the university opened on a warm, sunny morning in late August, the culmination of several years of work to realize their collective vision. To celebrate its opening, Henry and Danielle planned a week-long festival, which like the university, was open to all, regardless of their station.

The festival was an informal, almost chaotic affair, not entirely unlike attending the market but with music, dancing, and booths offering games of skill and chance free of charge to attendees. The crowds that poured in and out each day were boisterous and joyful as they moved from booth to booth, sampling food offerings and trying their luck at the various games. Henry had never attended a festival quite like this before, and as much as Danielle was enjoying the festival itself, she enjoyed taking in the festival through his eyes even more.

One particular booth captured Henry’s attention early in the week. The booth offered contestants the opportunity to win prizes if they could knock down a set of bottles with the throw of a ball. “It seems simple enough,” Henry observed on the first day, as he watched a young boy tried and failed several times, always leaving at least two bottles standing.

“So it does,” Danielle agreed. She smiled but said nothing further.

By the end of the week, however, Henry’s fascination at this particular booth had built as he had watched countless men and women, young and old, try and fail to conquer the game.

“I believe I must try my hand myself,” Henry declared finally, discarding his formal cloak as he stepped up to the booth. With concentration he usually reserved for the most serious matters of state, Henry studied the bottles and tossed the ball up in the air several times as if to test its weight. Finally, he stepped up to the line and threw, hitting the front bottle head on. His face was triumphant as the bottles began to topple over until all but one had fallen. The final bottle tipped back and forth several times before steadying and remaining upright.

“I simply do not understand,” he exclaimed to no one in particular as the triumph on his face quickly morphed into shock. “How did the last bottle not fall?”

Too stunned to give the game another try, Henry was refastening his cloak when Danielle stepped forward. “Monsieur,” Danielle motioned to the young man who was running the booth. “I would like to try my hand as well.”

“Of… of course, Princess,” the young man stuttered, bending into an awkward bow. Even after several years of marriage, it still sometimes took Danielle by surprise when she was addressed as royalty.

Taking the ball in hand, she observed him as he reset the game. As soon as it was ready, Danielle took aim and released, hitting her target just off center. The bottles tipped over, slower at first for her than they had for Henry, but one by one, each began to fall, gaining momentum until the final bottle toppled over.

Her arms raised victoriously, Danielle cried out in joy, and the young man behind the booth handed her a flower as her prize. “You are our first winner all week, your majesty,” he said.

Thanking him, Danielle made her way from the booth, Henry trailing steps behind her. “How did you do that,” he asked in wonderment, his head tilted in contemplation. “It looks so easy at first, but clearly you have figured out what none of the rest of us could!”

“They make it _look_ easy,” Danielle stepped forward to pin her flower to his cloak. “But that is how they trick you. These games are usually rigged, and several of the bottles are weighted so that they remain upright unless they are hit directly. I simply observed which bottles were likely to be the weighted ones. I aimed directly for those, and the others followed.”

At this, Henry laughed. “And you listened to me go on about this game all week, all while you knew the key to defeating it!”

“I did,” she admitted, a smile tugging at her lips. “A lady does not reveal her secrets when there are games to be won.”

“Well played, my lady,” he replied. “You certainly have won.”

With that, Henry wrapped one arm around her, and they paused to take in all that they had built together - the happy crowds at the festival and the university which would soon welcome its first students. As the sun began to set, casting its gentle glow on all before them, Danielle knew their victories for the day ran far deeper than any game.

v.

Henry was crowned the King of France less than a week after his father’s death.

Formal celebrations would follow after an appropriate mourning period, but Henry’s obligations to his country necessitated that he assume the throne as soon as possible. Danielle understood this and even knew that it would honor the wishes of King Francis himself, but as she knew what it was to grieve the loss of a beloved father, her concern for her husband weighed heavily on her mind.

The morning of his formal coronation, she found him sitting alone in the small chapel behind the altar of the Cathedral. His back was turned to her, but before she could hesitate in the doorway for more than a few moments, he sensed her presence behind him.

“I never wanted to be king, you know.” His voice was unsteady, and he spoke in a low whisper.

Any hesitation she felt vanished in the face of his own, and Danielle stepped forward with purpose, placing a hand on his back to comfort him. She could not offer him words that would lessen the magnitude of his loss, but she would be there for him as he always was for her.

“Before I met you,” he continued, his voice rising slightly, “my father used to tell me that he would deny me the crown and live forever. A part of me never expected to lose him.” Despite his grief, Henry shook his head, chuckling to himself at the memory. “He was furious with me more often than not back then.”

Danielle smiled softly, moving so that she was face to face with her husband. “You were infuriating back then.”

Henry gave her a wry smile in return. “That I was,” he admitted. He took a deep breath and exhaled, his face growing serious once more. “I do not know how to do this without him.”

“No one expects you to know right away,” she replied, taking his hand in hers. “It may take some time, but your father believed you are capable of great things. And I know that you are.”

Henry looked at her as though he may not yet have complete faith in her words, but he did have complete faith in her conviction. Though the road ahead was uncertain, Danielle would carry them through on her conviction until Henry regained his.

Slowly he rose from his seat. “ _We_ are capable of great things.”

With that, they walked hand in hand toward their future.


End file.
